Life & Work with Nate Summers

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nate Summers. 

Hi Nate, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
Simply put, I got started bladesmithing because I was a crafty kid with a big imagination, and swords and axes, and knives fascinated me. Characters from cartoons and stories had them, and I did the best I could to bring my imagination to life. I would take scraps and trash from the garage, old aluminum window frames or electrical conduit, flatten them on the concrete steps with a framing hammer, then wrap a shoelace around it for a handle. I studied the book “the art of blacksmithing” by Alex Bealer, scrounged or made tools, and would spend hours in the backyard exercising what I learned. But for every question I had that I answered from self-study, I also created thousands more that I could not answer on my own. I needed time, guidance, and education. At age 15 I met a knife maker named Jared Williams who became my first mentor. I’d show him a knife, he’d take a look at it, tell me what I did well and what I did terribly, and then he’d show me how to avoid the mistake for the next knife. He also introduced me to the wider world of bladesmithing, blade magazine, hall of famers, schools of thought regarding metallurgy and craftsmanship. I did the best that a young kid could do to soak it up and improve my skill. It was very difficult, sometimes, having mistakes pointed out, but it helped me switch my mindset from playing at bladesmithing to the serious pursuit of it instead. 

After high school, I took the introductory course to bladesmithing from the American Bladesmith society, and later, the Damascus making course. I started working security for St. Marks Hospital and was able to afford renting houses with garages. I’d set up shop wherever I lived, and continue to practice what I had learned, and take on a few commissions here and there. 

Between 2015 and 2016 I went from being a single person to being a husband and father of three. It was a rapid change, and my wife and I had to hustle to prepare ourselves in every way we could. I was ready to put aside my hobby as a bladesmith after I finished some long-standing commissions, I knew would help pay the bills. Then, in 2017, Jared Williams encouraged me to complete on the History Channels show “Forged in Fire”. He had competed on the show and won, and was certain I could do it too. I interviewed for it and sure enough, three weeks later I flew out to film the episode. Competing was a supreme challenge, but in the end, I won the title of Forged in Fire champion. 

After winning Forged in Fire, many people took an interest in handmade knives, and soon after, I had a year’s worth of commissions lined up, equaling to what I was making at my day job. I had dreamed of being an artist for a living for a long time. I felt as though this would be my last chance to make it work, so, I quit, and set up shop in my home garage. 

To say it was rough in the beginning would be an understatement. I have no formal business training, and I was growing a business while being a stay-at-home dad. A townhouse garage was not my ideal space, and it was a struggle to organize myself in such a way that I could preserve the quiet, domestic atmosphere of my neighborhood. Money was very tight, and often times I did not know if I would have work beyond the current commissions. I went into debt trying to keep up the pace with family and business. What kept me going was the enthusiasm of the customers? People loved what I was making for them, it made them feel special, and it was my pleasure to introduce them to it. I felt like I had something I’ve been waiting to share with the world that was finally getting shared. I continued to press forward, learning as I went, and utilizing everything I had at my disposal. 

It has been three years since I quit my day job. My social media has just recently skyrocketed, and the demand for my products and services is at an all-time high. For the first time in a long time, I don’t just feel determined to make a great future happen…I feel assured that it will. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
A recurring difficulty has been feeling misunderstood. When I looked at a piece of metal, I could in my mind’s eye what it would look like finished. Other people saw a chunk of ugly metal. I found then, and still occasionally do, that many people do not see the potential of a project until after it finished, and that lack of understanding felt like criticism. For many years, I did not believe I would ever be accepted as an artist. Unless a person was already interested in bladesmithing, I encountered the same misunderstanding time and time again. To compensate for this, I thought I had to become a master. I felt that in order to be beyond judgment, criticism, and misunderstanding, that I had to be perfect. The pressure I put on myself was immense and I could not let myself fail. But, because failure is a necessary part of learning, it happened, and I was miserable over it. I have since abandoned that line of thinking, that everything has to be perfect. Instead, I focus on what I can do with the time and resources in front of me, and I believe that’s when I really began to thrive as an artist. 

Keeping up with family life and business at the same time. Blending the two, so that there is harmony, was not always possible, and sometimes one had to wait for the other. I was wracked with guilt over the financial strain I had put on myself and my wife, I experienced anxiety over whether or not I was doing enough as a father, and I felt impatience towards the learning curves of business. Some days were overwhelming, but I never gave up. It has taken trust, patience, and a lot of determination to make it past the darkest days. 

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a Bladesmith, and I specialize in creating artisan cutlery by forging hot steel with hammers and anvils. I am known for having competed on and winning season 4, episode 17 of the show Forge in Fire, on the History Channel, and working out of my home in West Jordan Utah. I am also known for hosting experiences for people who are interested in learning bladesmithing, or who just want to have a good time trying it out. 

Bladesmithing to me has been and is many things. It was an outlet for my vivid imagination, and it became a discipline against which I, for better or worse, judged myself. It was my chance to win a competition and put to use of something I could do well. It is my chance to do the impossible and dream big. It is my chance to be myself, it is my chance to fulfill a promise. It is a balancing act of function and form. 

One thing that sets me apart is that I will work to try and reach to the heart of people’s interest in the knife. I had one client bring me scrapes from his former high school mentors’ old shop after the mentor had passed away. In a form of homage, we selected the usable scrap and turned it into a hatchet, so that he could carry the memory with him literally as he camped and hiked. 

Sometimes I highlight natural beauty so that light, texture, and vanishing points all work together to create masterpieces of visual art. While others are built for the purpose of sentimentality, such as a knife made as a passion project, or as a gift for a loved one. Functional beauty, visual beauty, and emotional beauty, all in one. 

Having cooked for myself for many years, I have a deep respect for good chef knives, and I have devoted much of my effort to producing them. I use high carbon steels 1095 or 52100, and I hand forge the blades into a blank, then grinding them the rest of the way. The Japanese designs, Santoku, Nakiri, Gyuto have become the staples for most of my customers, but I also give myself room for innovation. Bread knives, petty knives, compound grinds, and full sets have all been produced. 

My work at the hospital has given me an appreciation for the needs of first responders, and I have built tools designed for the challenges they face. Utility knives, everyday carry fixed blades, even breaching tools for getting into a wrecked vehicle, are all an option for prospective customers. I have also spent years making hard-use knives for the outdoor enthusiast and campers, choppers, bush crafting, and tomahawks. 

I do original work, one-off pieces, or small batches of knives. I do custom work though it is the most expensive option. 

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
Number 1 on the list is my wife, Allie Summers. She was my first real win, nothing I have done since her would have been possible without her. She is the reason and cause behind all I have accomplished in the past five years. The most helpful thing she did for me was love me, and that made me feel like I was worth something. The other thing she did was she went along on this adventure with me, she was willing to do things that scared her, just so I could have a chance at success. 

My friend Jared Williams, a fellow bladesmith and forged in fire champion. I’ve known him since I was 15 years old. He was the first person with whom shared his passion for building and craftsmanship. He introduced me to masterful level craftsmanship, and exercising my skill against his standards is what pushed me beyond the limits of what I thought I could do. 

For the show, Forged in Fire, for bringing bladesmithing to the world’s attention, and giving me the opportunity to compete and win. 

My parents, for putting up with the mess in the backyard for so long! 

My grandmother, Gerry Levelle, for never having a doubt in her mind. 

Matt Summers and DJ Summers, for making me think. 

Amber and Jared Phifer, for knowing what it really means to be self-employed 

My friend Ben Jones, for always offering to help. 

Jake Dawyer and Lisa Boshard, for being advocates. 

Jared and James Bergener, for being my first hardcore fans. 

Josh Ayers, Rich Post, for taking an interest and giving me the time of day. 

Post Malone, for making me feel cool. 

Contact Info:

• Email: natetheblademaker@gmail.com
• Website: natetheblademaker.com
• Instagram: natetheblademaker
• Facebook: Nate Summers
• Youtube: natetheblademaker
• Other: TicTock natetheblademaker2

Image Credits
Allie Summers